Glen Campbell was an icon in our family and a pleasant memory as I grew up. My dad loved country music, played banjo and a variety of guitars, and did a lot of  pickin’ and grinnin’ with as many bands as would have him. I must honestly admit that I wasn’t exactly a fan of country music at the time, and I covered my ears a lot. My preference was Herman’s Hermits and Gary Lewis, not Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, or Conway Twitty. But I could see the joy that music brought into my dad’s life–so much so that he even played a guitar in his pup tent while he fought in the Korean War. (more…)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:3-7 NIV)

One month ago today, on June 30, 2016, the angel who God sent to earth to be my mom, my friend, my biggest fan, my protector, and defender was set free to return to her eternal home. Alzheimer’s was defeated, and her fears were released. She is now admitted into eternal grace. (more…)

Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will bring me safely through them. You will clench your fist against my angry enemies! Your power will save me. The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your loving-kindness, Lord, continues forever. Don’t abandon me—for you made me. (Psalm 138:7-8; TLB)

Tell me, Lord, am I a hypocrite today?

Ten days ago, you asked me to inspire 120 caregivers and share with them the answer to the question, “Where is God in Alzheimer’s.” But now I’m shaking my fist toward Heaven and asking, “Where are You now.”

As stated in Psalm 138, I want to believe that You bring us safely through our troubles and that Your loving-kindness continues forever. But like David’s words in Psalm 138, I also clench my fist in anger. I grieve, and I’m angry today. And I’m clenching.

Where were you, Lord, when my friends unexpectedly lost their toddler child to Heaven yesterday? They’re grieving, Lord, and I feel helpless to make their pain go away. I think about their losses—first day of kindergarten, first lost tooth, the toothless grin, a driver’s license, prom, graduation, a career, and grandchildren. Yes, You have blessed them with two other beautiful children, as some might horrendously suggest. They will always have three children, and now one is missing. Forever.

So where were You? And am I a hypocrite because I don’t know?

At the caregiving conference, I told caregivers to look in the mirror and see Your love reflected in the image—that they are God’s love to the ones receiving their care. Your love is reflected through them. But what can I tell my friends? I am weeping, and I don’t know what to tell them.

I acknowledge that I grieve the long goodbye of Alzheimer’s as I watch Mom become more like my child than my mama. I grieve that she may never hold in her hands the book I’m writing about her. I grieve the near total loss of my number one fan. And I grieve because I can’t make it better like she did for me when I scraped my knee or broke my toe or sprained my ankles. But this is nothing like what my friends are facing.

Is Your love being reflected in their tears? Is Your love being reflected in their sleepless nights or reflected in the mourning they’ll share between them all over again on all the birthdays and Christmases that will never be shared with their missing child?

Today I thought about the baby I never got to hold in my arms in 1987. For ten weeks, I held my baby in my body, until the cramping and bleeding violently stole a part of my future from me. I know I was somehow blessed by seeing that little something that looked like a tadpole with two black dots for eyes. The day before, I unknowingly held my baby in a tissue, just assuming it was just something that happened in pregnancy.

But that’s still not even close to what my friends are being called to walk through.

As I ponder further, I sense You whispering to me a reminder of how many times You allowed me to minister to others through my loss, including my friends who knew a week in advance that the full-term child they would bear was anencephalic and would not survive delivery, or my former sister-in-law who lost her child at a women’s retreat as I was pregnant with my second son.

I want to believe that You were there, too, in the emergency room with my friends, grieving with them, and I want to believe that You gently held their child in Your arms upon entrance into Heaven. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these” (NIV). I know their precious child is with You. You are the “I AM” and You have promised that their child is now with You.

I will believe that Your reflection of love will be radiant when they are called upon to walk this journey with someone else experiencing a similar, painful loss. Perhaps their tragedy will save the lives of other children.

So, Lord, I guess You and I have come full circle tonight. Whatever losses we face here on Earth, You accompany us in our grief. We are brought closer to You as we mourn and pray. And sometimes we don’t see You and that’s when you carry us the most.

Carry my friends. Carry the caregivers. Fill us with Your abundant grace so we can see You. Allow us to regift Your grace to those we love and to those who You put in our paths and need it the most.

Thanks, Lord, for not telling me I’m a hypocrite. You know our pain because You felt it on the road to Calvary. Not only did You feel it, but You carried it so that I wouldn’t have to, not only to eternity, but also through the most painful parts of my life.

You are with my friends, and their child is with You. You are with me, and my mom will be with You soon.

I’ll let You be the one to clench Your fist against my enemies, even when my worst enemy sometimes is grief. You promise to wash our tears away one day.

For today, I’ll hold on to that.

Written April 22, 2016; originally posted April 23, 2016.

©2016 Regifted Grace Ministry LLC

Finally, they made it to Attalia and caught a ship back to Antioch, where it had all started—launched by God’s grace and now safely home by God’s grace. (Acts 14:26 MSG)

When our sojourn to Arkansas started, even before the physical move in October 2013, I was drawn to the Arkansas State University campus here in Mountain Home and the beautiful facility called the Vada Scheid Center. Over a year ago, my husband and I attended a benefit at the Scheid, and I held at bay the hope in my spirit that one day I would get to speak there.

On Tuesday, April 12, 2016, not only did I live that dream of speaking at the Scheid, but by God’s grace the official launch was made of Regifted Grace Ministry. For the first time, I publicly spoke about the manuscript for Undefeated Innocence. (more…)

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-3; NIV)

Veteran’s Day has come and gone, another wreath was laid at the Tomb of the Unknowns, and we celebrated the memories of those who laid down their lives for their friends.  I proudly remembered the year of my father’s youth being spent offering himself to the people of Korea.  And we recently were witness to the terroristic atrocities in Paris and other hostile sacrifices.

Below are excerpts from Undefeated Innocence. These excerpts relate to the sacrifices which occur daily in the life of every caregiver of a loved one with Alzheimer’s. (more…)

No, I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm—I will come to you. (John 14:18; TLB)

My nightly routine includes an eight o’clock phone call to Mom so she can hear my voice before she goes to bed.  Her memory, agitation, and confusion levels are much worse when she’s tired and sundowning.  So it’s a beautiful sound when I can make my mom laugh during our nightly calls.  It defers her from repetitively asking the same questions—“where am I living” or “why am I still alive.”

When she answers the phone, I try different accents or different greetings: “Mamasita-san, this is daughter-san Cheryl-san” or “Is thhiiiiiisssssssssss mmmyyyyyyy Maaaaaaaaaaaah-meeeeeeeeee?” or “Is this the mother to whom I AM speaking?”  Her childlike laughter is soothing to me because I never quite know if I’m going to get Mother Jekyll or Mother Hyde.  (more…)